What Is Lowering The Drinking Age

Michael Mondelli
Mrs. Wright
English 12 Period 12
16 February 2017
Drinking Age
Lowering the MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) would positively impact society. The rise of the MLDA might have prevented some issues but it created far more than it prevented. Many other states already have or are on their way to have a MLDA of 18. At the age of 18, you are legally an “adult” but are restricted from many rights given to other adults because of unknown reasons, but are given the right to do far more dangerous things than consuming alcohol whenever they please. Lowering the MLDA from 21 to 18 in the state of New York will significantly solve more issues and create happier and safer environment for the adolescents of the ages 18 through 21. The

College presidents from more than 120 US universities are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 back down to 18. The group argues that the current laws actually encourage binge drinking on campus (“President 's Campaign”). The rise of the drinking age from 18 to 21 caused far more problems than it has solved in today 's society. Regardless, crimes are going to be committed, alcohol related or not, but controlling and monitoring it would decrease the crime rate, rather than teenagers drinking secretly, with little to no supervision at all. “ The 21 year drinking age has not reduced drinking on campuses, it has actually probably increased it” says Middlebury president John McCardell. Determined minors have a relatively easy time getting their hands on liquor, even if it 's not kept in their own homes. They find adults that will buy it for them, or use fake IDs, which in this day in age are widely available on the internet (Kluger). This causes binge drinking, and drinking in unsafe environments such as an empty house or in the woods, where something bad is more likely to happen. According to Mary Kate Cary, when she was underaged, the drinking age was 18. Frats had kegs out in the open on university property, and student gatherings more often than not, included beer. She remembers university police regularly strolling through the frat parties, just making sure everything was

Before the MLDA was raised to 21, there were many positive effects that came from a lower MLDA. Lowering the MLDA diminishes the thrill of breaking the law to consume alcohol (“Should the”). Young adults experience a thrill when drinking underage knowing that they are adults, but are restricted from consuming alcohol. If the MLDA was lowered, they would no longer have that thrill and it could lead to less alcohol intake. One reason many young adults drink is because they know that hey shouldn 't be doing it, however if this was just another right given to them, they wouldn 't feel obligated to take advantage of it, because it is just another privilege that comes with growing up and maturing into an adult. Drinking age being 18 would also open the doors for young adults to drink in safer public places like bars, rather than unsupervised places. Surely people would rather hear of kids sipping beer out if a red solo cup at a well patrolled fraternity party, than drinking shots and popping a vicodin in somebody 's basement off campus. Lowering the drinking age will also help dissolve the need for kids to “pregame” and bring the college fake ID business to a dead stop. It can 't really help reduce the binge drinking, drug overdoses, and sexual assaults (Cary). Unsupervised parties could lead to binge drinking and even young adults being drugged by others at a party. Lowering this will reduce the chance of binge drinking significantly, and in turn, prevent the drugging of